Wargaming announces Leaving Russia and Belarus

Commercial sanctions, studios in the future uncertain, charitable mobilization... The impact of the war in Ukraine on the videoludic industry has already taken various forms, but the announcement that the Wargaming group will probably remain like the One of the most significant, both politically and commercially.

Founded in Minsk in 1998, the known network for World of Tanks , World of Warships and World of Warplanes announces its decision to leave Russia and Belarus. A gesture decided after "a strategic review of its business activities around the world" which implies that the group will no longer own any subsidiaries in these countries, directly or indirectly. Wargaming has also already transferred the management of its games in Russia and Belarus to the local department of Lesta Studio, which is no longer part of Wargaming. Based in St. Petersburg, Lesa Studio had joined Wargaming in 2011 and participated in the creation of World of Warships .

According to its official website, Wargaming employs 5,500 employees in more than 20 offices around the world, which will therefore be revised down. In 2011, Wargaming had moved his headquarters from Minsk to Nicosia, Cyprus, but the Capital Belorusse remained the heart of the development of World of Tanks and World of Tanks Blitz . However, the closing process of Minsk's studio is well started. In addition, Wargaming had opened a mobile studio in Moscow in October 2017. In other words, leaving Russia and Belarus will not be an economic consequence for Wargaming, not to mention the fact of not taking advantage of the recipes of its games. Russia and Belarus, home home.

"_The company will not benefit from this process, whether today or in the future. On the contrary, we are expecting substantial losses accordingly to this decision. We will provide as much severance benefits and support possible to our employees affected by this change. Despite the magnitude of this decision, we are confident in the future of our company and we are committed to providing quality games to our players ", can we read.

On February 26, in the first days of the war in Ukraine triggered by Vladimir Putin, the image of Wargaming had been tainted by the words of his creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy, who had publicly posted his pro-Russian opinions and therefore pro-war. The direction of Wargaming had not launched the penalty. "The whole of our staff now focuses on helping our more than 550 Kiyv colleagues and their families... Sergey's opinion is in full contradiction with the position of the company. He n n. is more of a Wargaming employee, had commented on the direction. Today, it shows how close it intended to keep hands as clean as possible.